10 Reasons Why You Should Cruise Solo

If you have never cruised solo, which means you are traveling alone and not sharing a cabin with anyone, then you are missing out! I am here to tell you 10 reasons why you should take your next cruise as a solo cruiser.

1)You get to do whatever you want

The best and most obvious thing about cruising solo is that you don't have to consider anyone else's needs or preferences except your own. Follow your internal clock and do as your heart desires without worrying about appeasing others. It's your own vacation and you will be able to cruise in the style that you please.

Want to sleep? Take a nap. Hungry? Grab a snack. See all the shows twice? Go for it. Want to read a book uninterrupted? Bring a novel. Want company? Go to the Solo Meetups and meet awesome people, or head to a bar and grab a cocktail (or mocktail) and you might find yourself in a conversation before you know it. You truly have the flexibility to make your solo cruise experience anything you want it to be, whether you prefer a schedule of activities or something more spontaneous. If a truly relaxing vacation is what you are after, go for it and get the Mandara Spa Thermal Suite Pass. Do what makes you happy!

Mandara Spa Thermal Suite on the Norwegian Bliss

2)You get to eat whenever and wherever you want

Not only will you get to do what you want, but you get to eat what you want, whenever you feel like it. Not really hungry at breakfast time? Skip the meal and go for a poolside mimosa, then head to the buffet when you are good and ready. Solos don't have to answer to others and can eat according to when they are really hungry. Go ahead and order dessert before dinner. You deserve to treat yourself!

3)You get to choose when to be social or be alone

When you cruise solo, you can choose when to enjoy alone time and when to socialize with other cruisers. On some cruise lines, like Norwegian, they host a "Solo Meetup" daily so that you can meet and make friends with other solo cruisers. You may be cruising solo, but you don't have to spend your time alone, especially if you join one of our Solo Cruise Group Events.

4)You get to meet amazing new friends

When you do wish to be social, some of the friendliest people you will meet are other solo cruisers. Think about it. You already share a connection together being adventurous lovers of travel, and they are also there to meet new friends like you, too. When you have plenty of time (and maybe plenty of drinks) you can really get to know a person and form deep bonds during the cruise to make new lifelong friends!

5)You never know what could happen

Although you are sure to meet many new friends, sometimes solo cruisers have also found love! I have met several solos who came separately and ended up "special friends" with someone by the end of the cruise. I have also met a couple who were on the ship together because they met on a previous cruise when they were both solo cruisers and are still together. So you never know, you just might find love!

However, just because someone is solo doesn't mean they are single or looking for love. For example, I am married and not available for anything more than friendship. I cruise solo because its part of being a travel agent and my family cannot join me as often as I need to go. But I am ever so grateful that they are supportive, because it is a fun career to have and I love helping people.

That being said, even if someone is single, it doesn't mean that they are interested in more than friendship on the cruise. Therefore, just like in real life back on land, you mustn't pressure someone who isn't interested. After all, this is their cruise, too, and they have the right to enjoy it unfettered of any unwanted romantic attention. So please always be respectful and we can all have a great cruise.

6)You get to save with solo-only categories and no single supplement price specials (when available)

Single supplement pricing is when cruise lines charge single passengers 50 to 100% extra cruise fare, or more, than the per-person double occupancy rate. One thing that frequently comes up in discussions is how unfair it seems to feel you are paying for two guests when you are only one person.

But, if you think about it like you were comparing a ship cabin to a hotel room, the price of the space is the same regardless of whether one person or two people occupy it. As far as total cabin price, one person is usually not paying more for the cabin than it would cost for two people.

Depending on the cruise line and ship, you can book a Studio or Solo category cabin at a solo-only rate, or a regular cabin with a no single supplement special rate. When that is the case, you end up paying much less overall for the space than it would cost for two people to reserve the same size cabin. It's always nice when you can book a solo-only or no single supplement special, but if you are not sure how to find these types of rates, just send me a Quote Request and I can see what is available for you. You might be surprised at just how much bigger a cabin feels when you don't have to share the bathroom.

7)You get access to the Studio Lounge on several Norwegian ships

On some of the Norwegian ships, there is the Studio Lounge, which is a private lounge shared only by Solo guests with complimentary coffee, espresso, and snacks available throughout the day. There is also a wine dispenser at an additional fee. To access the Studio Lounge at anytime, you must be booked in a Studio, Solo Inside, Solo Oceanview, or Solo Balcony cabin. All solo cruisers, regardless of cabin category, are welcome to the Studio Lounge during the daily Solo Meetup hosted by Norwegian.

8)You get the benefits of occupying less space

There are moments when it is just easier to do things by yourself. When you are a party of one, there may be times when you will get the last ticket to the excursion, the last seat on the shuttle bus, the last seat on the tender at the port, or the single seat at the end of the row in the theater. You get around easier than a larger group because there is usually room for one more on the elevator. On my last cruise, I was able to walk up to a "full" specialty dining restaurant and be seated within minutes because it is easier to squeeze in one person than to accommodate a larger party. The food was beyond delicious! Score one for being a solo!

Teppanyaki on the Norwegian Bliss

9)You get to change your mind

On a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, I booked myself a 7:30 am ticket to do the Town, Country, and Tequila excursion in Puerto Vallarta. Well, my alarm went off and I woke up on time, but I did NOT feel like going so early. I wanted to sleep longer so that I would feel more rested to take on my day after several nights of little sleep. Because Norwegian offers a shore excursion discount, the ticket didn't cost me much. Therefore, I decided to make peace with losing the $7 that I spent and went back to sleep...because I could. No one else was expecting me, so after a quick phone call to the shore excursion desk to tell them I wouldn't be there, I snoozed with no guilt. When I was ready, I made my way to the pool deck to have a look at the port and I ran into another solo cruiser I recognized from the meetup. He accompanied me to walk around Puerto Vallarta and we had a wonderful time!

10)You get to join us on a Solo Cruise Group event

Being a solo cruiser, I figured it would be fun to host other solos on the cruises I take. That way we can play additional games and participate in activities to get to know one another and even win prizes. It makes me feel so happy that I can encourage nice people to take the step to travel when they might not go otherwise. I have a Solo Cruise Group on Facebook full of solo cruisers that has grown substantially in a short time because solo cruising has become so popular now. Check out our Solo Cruise Events and join us to find out how much fun solo cruising can be!

Now, if you are still on the fence about cruising by yourself, just watch the video below to hear what other solo cruisers I've met have to say about going solo.

Real Solo Cruisers on the Norwegian Bliss

"So I like the fact that you can do what you want when you want to do it. So if you want to be alone, relax, and do your own thing, you can. But if you want to join a group of people and go out and do stuff, you can. The nice thing, too, is I went on the first port, had a blast. But then the second one, I was like, you know what? I want to stay in the boat. And it was nice because I found another solo. We got to enjoy the whole ship. We got to walk around. And I felt like, oh gosh, 20% of the people stayed on. And we had our own elevators. We walked around, sat where we wanted, no lines, no waits. And it was so peaceful and quiet. You do get the hecticness of everybody around you. But other than that, it was just a great atmosphere. And it's fun because you're in charge of yourself."

"Okay, so I like to solo cruise because I can never find anyone who has the vacation time or someone who has the money. So I just, one day I just did it and never looked back. I know Norwegian's really good because they focus on solo cruisers, they have the meetups, they have the studios. So I do solo meetups. This is my fourth solo cruise and every single cruise I've been I've had no problem meeting people. And every now and then I do have to step away to have some time for myself. And since I'm by myself, I can do that. I can do what I want."

"Being a solo traveler has been awesome. Great experience, new people, great friends, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to travel."

"Erika is a really great travel agent. Go to getcruisecredit.com"

So, if you haven't tried solo cruising yet, what are you waiting for? All are welcome to come along on one of our Solo Cruises and make new friends to create awesome memories with. Hope to see you there!

Happy travels,

Erika Williams

PS. As always, contact me if you have questions or request a quote if you would like help finding a cruise. Did you know I am certified with most cruise lines, do not charge any fees, and you receive onboard credit or a VISA gift card as a thank you for booking with me? Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated.